Di Holy Liturgy
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Preparation Before di Meeting
Make dem ask everybody wey go take part to read di Introduction and Chapter One for di My Catholic Worship! book before this meeting.
5 minit – Gather Together
This first time wey dem set aside to gather na just chance for everybody to arrive and meet one another. During this time, di leader suppose make sure say e get all di contact details of everybody wey dey take part. Tags wey carry people name fit help.
5 minit – Introduction
As di host, gather everybody together and welcome dem. Talk small about yourself, then go round and ask each person to introduce imself briefly.
5-10 minit – Opening Prayer and Scripture
Everybody go sit quietly as di leader start with di Sign of di Cross, then invite dem to stay silent for some time with these words:
“Make we calm ourselves as we begin this study of our glorious Catholic worship together. ‘Lord, as we sit here for one minit in silence, help each one of us to bring our own questions, worries, fears and joys to You. For this time of silence, help us to listen well to Your gentle voice wey dey speak to us, guide us and call us to deeper faith.'”
Make everybody close eye and keep quiet for about one minute, so that each person fit tell our Lord about the particular things wey dey worry am.
Di leader go read this invitation:
Make we think deeply about the Word of God. Make we use these questions take reflect on our own journey of faith: I believe? How deep my faith be? I dey open to allow God speak to me? I dey open to the Word of God, and I ready to allow God’s truth enter deeper inside me? I ready to allow this new faith change my life?
The leader of the session go read these Scripture passages with prayerful mind, one at a time, and pause for about 30 seconds between each verse:
Matthew 22:37: “Teacher, which commandment for di Law be di greatest?” E tell am, “You go love di Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. Na this be di greatest and di first commandment…”
Ephesians 1:9-12: E don make us know di mystery of wetin E want, according to di good pleasure wey E set out for Christ as plan for when time go reach im fullness, to bring all things together for Christ, things for heaven and things for earth. For Christ, dem choose us too, and God don mark out our destiny according to di purpose of di One wey dey accomplish everything according to wetin E intend and want, so that we wey first put our hope for Christ go live for di praise of His glory.
John 17:4-10: I don give You glory for earth by completing di work wey You give Me to do. Now, Father, give Me glory for Your presence, with di glory wey I get with You before di world begin. “I don make Your name known to di people wey You give Me from di world. Dem belong to You, and You give dem to Me, and dem don keep Your word. Now dem know say everything wey You give Me come from You, because I don give dem di words wey You give Me, and dem accept dem and truly understand say I come from You, and dem don believe say na You send Me. Na for dem I dey pray. I no dey pray for di world, but for di people wey You don give Me, because dem belong to You, and everything wey be My own na Your own, and everything wey be Your own na My own, and I don receive glory through dem…“
Di leader go then talk say: Make we take small time in silence to think deeply about these words. (one minit of silence).
Di leader go invite everybody to pray dis prayer as di leader dey pray am out loud:
Lord Jesus, make I learn to love You for all things and above all things. Make I love You with all my mind, heart, soul and strength.
Lord, as I begin this study about worship, help me to examine my own life of prayer and worship. Help me to look honestly at how I dey celebrate di Sacraments and to understand how I fit enter more fully into these gifts.
Lord, You dey come to me in a way wey deep well-well and with humility, as You dey hidden inside di Liturgy. Give me eyes of true faith so that I fit discover You and love You for these times of worship.
Lord, make worship of You take over my whole being and fill me with deeper love for other people. Make my worship of You fill my heart and soul with love for other people so that I fit be instrument wey You go use do Your work better for di world.
Jesus, na You I trust.
The prayer time go end as everybody dey profess the Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: wey the Holy Spirit cause make His Mother conceive Am, wey the Virgin Mary born; wey suffer under Pontius Pilate, wey dem nail to cross, wey die and wey dem bury. E descend go hell; on the third day E rise again from the dead; E ascend go heaven, E siddon for the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there E go come judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life wey no go ever end. Amen.
45-50 minit – Questions for Discussion
Make dem invite each person to share something or ask question, if e choose, about di questions and discussion starters below. Take one question at a time, and give each person chance to talk if e choose. No allow only one or two people to control di discussion. Go round di circle and no fear to share! Wetin you understand fit help another person understand di topics better. Your question fit even be di same question wey another person get. Some of di questions below go invite you to share from your own life; other questions go invite you to share with others wetin you read for di chapter for this discussion. Di aim na to share from our own lives and make sure say we express di faith of our Church clearly and everybody understand am.
- Wetin you consider as something wey “money no fit buy?” Wetin go dey for your list? Start with things wey no directly concern faith. Then, after you don make the list, compare am with another list wey include things for our life of faith, prayer and worship wey money no fit buy.
- How you go describe “misteri?” First discuss wetin “misteri” mean generally, without bringing faith enter the meaning yet.
- Now, how Liturgy take be “Mysterium Fidei?” Misteri of Faith? Discuss this one well, as una dey try understand better the many ways wey our life, faith and worship contain misteri of faith wey person no fit count.
- Liturgy na both “work wey God dey do” and “work wey the Church dey do.” Discuss and explain the ways wey Liturgy be:
- Work wey God dey do – Wetin e mean say Liturgy na 100% work wey God dey do? For which ways this one dey true?
- Work wey the Church dey do – Wetin e mean to talk say Liturgy na 100% work wey the Church dey do? For which ways this one dey true?
- Liturgy dey bore person? No, this question no be trick to catch person (well, e be like that small). Discuss am carefully, as una follow this method:
- Liturgy dey bore person sometimes? Yes or no?
- That one matter? Whether e dey bore person or e no dey, that one matter? Try spend some time discuss this one. E fit be say plenty different opinions go dey.
- The aim of Liturgy (Mass or any other liturgical worship) suppose be to entertain us, because we no dey fit pay attention for long? We suppose try compete with Hollywood and other kinds of modern entertainment? Which danger dey inside this one?
- Any benefit dey if Liturgy remain something wey “dey bore person” according to the way the world dey judge things? How a saint fit benefit from Liturgies wey no dey stir feelings so much, and wey dey more solemn?
- Wetin suppose be the real focus of Liturgy? As Church, which way best pass for us to work towards this aim?
- Wetin Liturgy get to do with our faith? How the two take connect?
- Discuss how dem dey celebrate Liturgy, as e concern the outward things. Share wetin una think about some of these things:
- Oge for Liturgy
- Colours for Liturgy
- Incense
- How dem arrange the sanctuary
- Sacred art
- Sacred music (This one worth to discuss. One kind of liturgical music dey wey best fit Liturgy?)
- Body movements and signs
- Homily
- The last section of Chapter One talk about why Unity and Diversity dey important. Anybody get something to talk or deeper understanding to share about that section?
20 minutes – Final Reflection and Sharing
Let each person get turn to share the thing wey stand out pass for them from the discussion, or the thing wey confuse them pass, so that wetin others share fit help them understand better or more deeply.
5 minit – Closing Prayer
Make the leader start with the Sign of the Cross, then ask everybody to close their eyes and keep quiet for one minit. Make each person reflect on wetin una discuss, especially wetin touch am pass.
Then make the leader pray this prayer:
Lord Jesus, our aim for life must be to worship You. We dey love You pass when we worship You with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Help each one of us discover the beauty and riches of worship wey we dey give God, especially as You dey invite us enter this worship through the different forms of the Sacred Liturgy.
Lord, we dey pray for the people wey dem don entrust with special roles for Liturgy. We dey pray for our priests. Guide them, stay with them and make them holy. Make dem always serve as holy and humble instruments of Your love and mercy.
We dey pray for the people wey dey lead us for prayers, Scripture reading, music and all liturgical roles. Make dem too truly humble, so that na only You go shine through their service.
Lord, help all of us meet You each and every time we take part for Holy Mass, for any Sacrament and for any other form of worship wey we dey give God. Make we meet You personally and deeply, so that our lives go change.
Jesus, na You I trust.
Di leader go then invite everybody wey dey there to offer dia own prayer like dis (Note: Dem fit pray am aloud, but e fit better make dem pray am for silence, as di leader decide):
Make each of us now bring wetin dey worry us personally before our Lord, as we trust say He dey hear us and He know everything wey we need. Make we put these prayers for His hand with full confidence say He want to take control.
(Take one minute of silence so that each person go talk to God about their own personal needs).
Di leader go then invite everybody to end with di Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be.
List of Wetin Dey Inside di Study Mitin Dem